Spherical cable fitting and method of applying same



Patented July 30, 1940 inal'llfzo f STATESl sPnERIoAL CABLE' FITTING AND-Marilou oF APPLYING SAME i Otto J. Bratz,` Adrian, Mich., assignor to American Chain & Cable Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York f Application November 15, 1937, Serial No. 174,559

15 Claims. (Cl. 29g-148) same to, such stranded wire structures which 1 hereinafter will be referred to by the term cable.

One object of the invention relates to a method for forming and/or securing Va relatively small end fitting to a cable, such for example as is used for operating automobile brakes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method for forming a truly spherical end fitting as the' end fitting is secured to the end v ameter of the cavities in the dies.

of a cable.

Another object of the invention is to provide 2O e method for securely fastening a spherical end fitting onto a cable and for maintaining the true spherical shape of said fitting during theoperation of attaching the same to the cable.

for forming and/or securing aspherical end fltlting to the cable which results in constricting 4the fitting and to less extents from the center to the ends of the iitting. 1 3f) Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a pair `of semi-spherical dies and an end-fitting of the form of an oblate spheroid :l in longitudinal section, and the end ofa cable in said end fitting;

Fig. 2 shows a right end- View of the dies, fitting and cable shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows the final spherical form of the end 4:) fitting of Fig. 1 secured to a cable in accordance with my method; f

Fig. 4 shows in section an end iitting of the Same initial shape as that shown in Fig. 1 provided with a double bell-mouthed cable receiving 45 bore;

Another object of the invention is the method Fig. 5 shows in section the end fitting of Fig. 4' secured 'to the cable in accordance with myl my method of forming and securing an end fitting to a cable, Fig. 1 shows a pair of dies Ill and I I which are provided with semi-spherical cavities I2 and I3 and with cable receiving semicylindrical grooves I4 and I 'respectively. The 5 end fitting which is to be. secured to the cable II is shown at I8, Figs. 1 and 2. This end fitting in its. initial form is substantially an oblate spheroid and is provided with a bore I9 extending through its shortest diameter, which bore is sub- 10 stantially of the same diameter as the cable to which the end fitting is to be secured. The bore maybe threaded or. corrugated as indicated at 20.

As shown in Fig. 1 the short diameter of theend tting in its initial form is shorter than the diameter of the cavities in the dies and its larger diameter as shown in Fig. 2 is larger than the di- 'I he dies I0 and II may be reciprocated by any suitabiemeans to impact the end fitting I8 and 20 the cable may be rotated during such impactment by any suitable means. During the operation of the dies, the oblate spheroid is brought clown to the spherical shape shown in Fig. 3 except the portion thereof which is occupied by the bore in the ends of the end fitting. During the die action the die pressure on the cable is maximum adjacent the plane through the center of the end iitting and normal to the cable. As the initial shape of the end fitting is not spherical, in order to swage this end fitting to a spherical shape it becomes necessary for'the metal to fiow toward the axis of the cable.

Under. the action of the dies the metal is forced -toward the center of the fitting and' also spreads 35 out along the bottom of the cavities of the dies, 'and each 'successive blow' causes the metal to gradually fiow up the sides of the cavity and down into the cable, outward flow along the cable being prevented by the shape of the die which 40 causes the metal to be forced between the wires of the cable and to decrease the metallic area of the cable-at the center of the sphere as illustrated in Fig. 3. In the final form shown in Fig. 3, the cable is tightly compacted at the point 22 and 45 less tightly toward each end of the end fitting. The bell-mouth 23 at the tension end of the cable prevents the cable irom being cut by the end lfitting and the bell-mouth 26 at the other end of the cable cooperates with the knob in the cable to hold the cable in the end fitting.

' In Fig. 4 I have shown an end fitting 25 of the same general outside contour as that shown in Fig.

1 and I have provided the end tting with a bore 26 of general hour-glass shape, the wall of the 55 PATENT oFF-.CE-

ated the outer contour of the end fitting 29 will be maintained and the metal will be caused to fiow to produce the connection shown in Fig. '7

vthereby securely compacting the cable' at the center of the fitting, providing a connection between the fitting and the cable substantially the same as that shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

In accordance with the method that I have disclosed herein the end fitting may be maintained in or swaged into truly spherical forni and securely fastened to the end of the cable, the method being especiallyv applicable to small cables and small end fittings. The lmethod is also applicable to other forms'cf' fittings, as for example, cylindrical fittings.

WhileI have disclosed the method of carrying out my invention in connection with the several initial forms of end-fittings disclosed, it is to be understood that my method is not to be limited to these forms by the illustration and description of said forms and I reserve the right to use any other initial form to produce other final forms by which the principle of the invention may be carried out as set forth in the specification and claims forming a part thereof.

I claim:

l. The method of securing a fitting to a cable which consists in applying pressure initially at the center on the fitting and then applying pres-- sure cn the entire surface of the fitting and restraining the flow of metal endwis'e exteriorly of said fitting along the axis of said cable. 2. 'I'he method of securing a fitting to a cable which consists in applying greater pressure at the center of the fitting to constrict the cable, and in restraining the flow of metal endwise exteriorly of said fitting along the axis of the cable.

3. The method of forming and securing a spherical fitting consisting of a single piece of metal to a cable which consists in swaging said y ao fitting into spherical form on-to the end of cable and in restraining the fiow of metal of the fitting along the cable away from the fitting during the swaging operation.

4. The method of securing a spherical fitting.

consisting of a single piece of metal to a cable whichV consists in swaging the fitting to reduce its diameter 'and compress the cable and in restraining the flowof thevmetal along the cable away from the centerof the fitting during the swaging operation.

5. The method of securing a which consists in impacting said fitting and in directing the flow of the metal toward the center of said fitting to cause greatest constriction of.' the cable at the center of said fitting.

6. -'-'I'he method of forming and securing a tting to acable, comprising impacting and shaping the fitting into the form desired and'in directing the flow of metal towards the center of fitting to a cable .y

the fitting to produce the greatest degree of constriction at 'the center of the fitting.

'7. The method of securing a spherical fitting consisting of a single piecel of metal to a cable, which consists in swaging the fitting to constrict the cable to a greater degree centrally of the fitting and progressively less toward the ends of the fitting.

8. In a method of forming and securing aspherical fitting consisting of a single piece of metal to a cable which consists in placing the i end of the cable in a cylindrical bore through the short diameter of an oblate :spheroid and in swaging said spheroid into a sphere by means of spherical' dies.

9. The method of forming and securing a fitting to a cable, the f1nal.form.of which has a circular contour with respect to the cable as the axis and an arcuate contour transversely in axial planes of the cable, comprising swaging said tting between a pair of, dies of corresponding circular contour of smaller radius and of arcuate contour transverselyon longer radii than said fitting'. s

v10. The method of connecting a spherical fit'- ting having a diametral bore bell-mounted at each endto a cable, which consists in swaging said fitting on to a cable placed in said bore to produce a constricted section in said cable at the center of said fitting, and less constricted sections outwardly therefrom toward each end of said bore.

1,1. The method of securing a spherical fitting having a bell-mouthed diametral bore to a cable,

vwhich consists in swaging said fitting into a smaller sphere onto said cable.

- 12. The method of securing a fitting having a bell-mouthed diametral bore to a cable which consists in swaging said fitting to smaller di- Amens-ions to constrict said cable most centrally of said fitting and progressively less toward the ends of the fitting.

' 13. The combination of a cable and a fitting' consisting of a single piece of metal, said fitting being impacted upon said cable throughout the entire length of said fitting and co-nstricting said cable tothe greatest degree at the center of saidl fitting and to a progressively less extent` from the center to the ends of the fitting leaving the cable at both ends of the fitting substantially uncompressed. A

I4. The combination(7 of a cable and a spherical end fitting consisting of a single piece of metal, impacted upon said cable throughout the entire length of said end fitting and constricting said cable to a great degree at the center of the fitting and progressively less toward the tension end of the fitting leavingthe cable at this end of the fitting substantially uncompressed. 15. The combination of a cable and a spherical end fitting consisting of a single piece of metal impacted upon said cable throughout the entire length of said end fitting, to a'great degrec at the center of the ntting and progressively less toward the end of the cable leaving the cable at this end of the fitting substantially uncompressed.

CERTIFICATE lo'F ,'coRREcTIoN.

rai-,ent No.'4 22095675. v Y July 50, 191m. l

`oTTlo J, BRATZ.

-It is hereby certified that error appearsI in the printed specification of the abovejmnnbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, first. v

column, line h.9,jo1e.im5,strike out the words "epd of"; and'that the said 'Letters Patent should be readwith this correction therein that'the same may confom to the record of the cease in the Patent' Office.

signed and sealed this 15th any of october, 'A,. D. 191m.

Henry Van Arsdaie (seal) -Acting comissioner of patents. 

